Let the Light in: Re-Enchanting the House That We Live In
The structure of a house has many rooms that serve different purposes. When one thinks of worldview, they are more likely to think of a big room that has everything in it that pertains to one’s worldview. However, one’s worldview can be likened to many different rooms that contain each of the pieces that make up the worldview. This is talked about in the article Teaching at the Intersection of Faith and Science. For the average Christian living in an increasingly secular world, faith may make up one room or a couple. Yet, “The house itself was framed with boards and beams of immanence.”
Being born into a particular context does change the way that a person thinks, acts, and integrates with the world around. Worldviews are developed based on the influences that effect us, both good and bad. The worldview houses that we live in are shaped by the houses around us. In this post-modern world, we talk in terms of science, fact, and opinion. These things are not bad, but they also are not gospel. The Gospel is in fact true, but to the world around us it is foolish and false. This is because of the difference in the structure of the house. If the rooms of the house are all rooms of science, the person that lives in the house will think very scientifically and vice versa.
When it comes to reaching the people of this world with the goodness of the gospel, we must learn what they believe. We need to understand other people’s worldviews, even if we do not agree with them. In the article The good, the true, and the beautiful in arguments, the Christian Scholar talks about how to challenge people around us without tearing down their imminent house. we do this by learning what is holding up the argument. The three categories that are talked about is: goodness, truth and beauty. As we relaize these three categories, we can reach people in any argument. We need to understand the way that kids, teens, and adults think, so that we can understand the worldview that they believe. We also need to get to know the people that are building the house. As I talked about in my previous article, we need to learn to have conversations with other people. “We now should begin introducing ourselves to local scientists and begin relating to them.” By understanding and speaking the truth in love to the people that we minister to, we can open up their curiosity to the things of God that re-enchant the human heart. Going back to the imagery of the house, when we approach ministry from this standpoint, we install skylights that let the light shine in. skylights are just the beginning of something bigger. Eventually, the roof of the house will open up fully.
This reminds me of Saul and his conversion to follow Jesus. Saul was someone who persecuted Christians. He was a man of religion that did what he thought was right. That is until a bright light shone from Heaven and reminded him that he was wrong. Even the biggest atheist is only one experience of glory away from being changed. We need to keep this in mind as we go from people that work at a demolition company (destroying other people’s worldviews) to people that install skylights. Let’s let the light in!
